Landsec has announced that M&S has signed to relocate into a new anchor store within White Rose Leedsin a bespoke unit spanning nearly 80,000 sq ft of dedicated trading space.
The new M&S store, formerly occupied by Debenhams which closed permanently in May this year, represents a significant upsize for the brand at the destination.
It will feature a 15,000 sq ft M&S Foodhall, as well as Womenswear, Lingerie, Beauty, Childrenswear, Menswear, and Home departments, and for the first time at White Rose, an M&S Café.
All staff will be retained and transferred to the new M&S, with additional recruitment to support the larger store, and the existing store within White Rose will remain open until the new unit is ready.
Pablo Sueiras, senior portfolio director at Landsec, commented: “We are shaping White Rose Leeds in a way that truly meets all the needs of our community, combining fashion, dining, leisure, and convenience. We have seen over the last year just how important the offer of brands like M&S has been, and we are delighted to have secured this upsize with them. Landsec has invested significantly to create this bespoke unit for M&S, which is undoubtedly the best way to transform this space to improve the White Rose offer for our guests.”
Paula Varley, regional manager for M&S, added: “We’re really excited to announce our plans to move to a brand-new, larger M&S full line store in White Rose. All colleagues in our existing store will move to work in the new store and we’re also delighted to be creating new roles on top of this. This investment in Leeds and the wider local area is part of the reshaping of our store estate to make sure it’s fit for the future, meeting the needs of customers today – and those of tomorrow.”
Time Retail Partners and JLL represent Landsec on the retail, while Pudney Shuttleworth and JLL advise on the F&B and leisure at White Rose.
